In collaboration with Taliesin West’s “The Cabaret Sessions”, Urban Nocturnes will present a program that corresponds with the chosen theme for their 2026-2027 season: Nature, Environment, and Landscape.

Belizean-born British composer Errollyn Wallen’s Five Postcards for violin and viola captures the essence of urban life in different locations using dance-like rhythmic motifs to evoke casual neighborhood scenes and specific emotional landscapes.

Beethoven's Sonata No. 5 in F Major for piano and violin has come to be known as the "Spring" sonata, with its flowing melodies and serene, pastoral character.

A Bird Came Down the Walk for viola and piano by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu is a musical depiction of an Emily Dickinson’s poem. The violist employs advanced technical effects to depict the bird's song, while the meditative soundscape—rich with light and color—engenders a sense of timelessness.

The Deserted Garden for violin and piano by Florence Price is a short evocative piece that paints a musical landscape of a man-made space that has been forgotten and left to the whims of nature. Its nostalgic mood hints at past events that now exist only in the memory of the garden's overgrowth.

“August” from Fanny Mendelssohn’s Das Jahr reflects the timeless cycles of nature and the passing of the seasons. The jovial rhythms and harmonies evoke swaying fields, abundance of harvest, and the vibrant energy of late summer, capturing the beauty of nature and the joy it inspires.

Dimitri Shostakovich's Five Pieces are comprised of individual vignettes from music that he composed for film or stage. Each piece explores a different theatrical landscape and uses humorous and lyrical devices as well as specific dance forms to depict social environments. Violin, viola, and piano join forces in this piece to close the program with a focus on how the creative instincts of humans are inspired to interpret and portray nature.